Tag Archives: Leukemia

In search of stem cells with a perfect tissue match

Leave a comment

The extensive research on stem cells has revolutionised the way life-threatening diseases like leukaemia and aplastic anaemia can be treated.
But there are several steps before these diseases can be treated using stem cells.

To begin with, the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-typing of the patient is done. Doctors then get into the process of finding a matched donor from the computerised list made available to them by National Marrow Donor Programme (NMDP), U.S., and New York Cord Blood Bank.
If registration of potential bone marrow donors has been in place for a long time, the emergence of a number of cord blood
Read More…

Fish oil may help cure leukemia

2 Comments

A compound found in fish oil, which apparently kills leukaemia stem cells, may lead to the cure of the disease, a new study including Indian origin researcher has revealed.

The compound, delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, according to Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences.

He said that the compound is produced from EPA, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil.

“Research in the past on fatty acids has shown the health benefits
Read More…

Endless, Pure New Blood From Stem Cells

1 Comment

Image via Wikipedia

It’s a doctor’s dream — an unlimited supply of disease-free blood.
And it may not be the stuff of fiction for long, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.
Someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. In surgery, on cancer words, on the nation’s battlefields — blood transfusions save lives.
But in the U.S., demand often exceeds supply. And elsewhere, especially in the developing world, there’s a real chance the blood cud be contaminated with diseases such as AIDS or Hepatitis C.

Enter Dr. Marc Turner, a cell biologist from Scotland who received a multi-million dollar research grant to
Read More…

ITALY – Stem Cells. Florence, Meyer pediatric hospital to soon have functioning ‘white room’

Leave a comment

The ‘White Room’ at Meyer pediatric hospital in Florence needs to complete a few more procedures to become completely functional. This stem cell and cellular product ‘factory’ will allow cells to be manipulated for therapies used in bone marrow treatments against leukemia and tumors and in reconstructive medicine to reproduce bone, cartilage, fat, and nervous tissue in metabolic and neurological diseases and treatments for serious autoimmune disorders.

“The certification procedures are very long,” explained the head of transfusions and cellular therapy, Franco Bambi, “because we will be considered a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, but we are planning to finish the
Read More…

Stem cell cure for tumours

Leave a comment

After extensively using stem cell therapy for treatment of leukemia, doctors are now pushing for using it to help cure solid tumours.

Doctors from various countries have congregated in the city to deliberate on the efficacy of using stem cells to treat the side-effects of chemotherapy, which, if given in high dosage, kills healthy cells as well.

“In several patients we have observed that the white blood cell count plummets following chemotherapy. This brings down the person’s resistance to infections. By transplanting stem cells we could counter that,” said Dr Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra, oncologist at Global Cancer Institute which is organising
Read More…